31513
by SimplyReBECca
Summary: JL. Post Friday's episode. After being let out of prison, Lauren phones Joey.


Sitting on her bed trying to drown out the argument her parents were having about her downstairs, her sister having left to pick up their younger brother from their Nan's, Lauren tossed her phone from hand to hand.

Dropping the ice pack her Dad had forced her to use for her knuckles, telling her she'd cracked Lucy a good one and her hand will probably bruise, she made her decision.

The second the call answered, she spoke "Abi said it was you that stopped Lucy pressing charges?"

He sighed. "Most people start a phonecall with hi you know?" She rolled her eyes, changing the topic was his standard way to get out of answering questions. It may work on Alice, but not on her.

"I'm not most people." He chuckled slightly before she heard him take in a breath. "It was the right thing to do Lauren."

"Yeah?" She hesitantly questioned, leaning back against the wall.

"Yeah." She just hmm'd in response, she didn't exactly feel guilt for punching Lucy, the blonde did deserve it. But she felt uncomfortable at it none the less, she just saw red and BAM!

"She provoked you. You hit her. End of." Lauren tried to not laugh at that, the simple blunt attitude towards life. "You caught her pretty good too" She was surprised to hear, was that pride in his tone, or was she mistaken.

"Dad said the same." Lauren wondered what the damage was to Lucy's face if she was honest. She'd never punched anyone before, not properly anyway. "I'm a Branning though, it's in the blood right?" Her Dad mentioned that on their way home from the station, that if she was that angry again to get herself down the gym with Uncle Jack. Apparently her Aunty Carol had once backhanded Aunty April so hard it knocked her out, Carol was Abi's age at the time.

"Yeah I guess" She'd just made it awkward mentioning their shared DNA, she though. It's true though, she's seen him hit his Dad and Tyler, and even a guy in the club defending her. Branning's are good with their fists, that and lying, family traits.

"Should have known though. You got a decent slap on ya too." She could definitely hear the smirk in his tone. "You'd know." Having been on the receiving end of her bitch slap before. He chuckled at that.

"Shouldn't have hit her though should I?" It had been playing on her mind. "Should have just walked away." She heard him sigh in response.

"I don't know babe." She could imagine him sat in his room like her at number 23, running his hand down his face trying to work out what to say. "Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Doesn't really matter now does it?"

"Guess not." Lauren heard a crash downstairs, guessing her Mum had most likely thrown something at her Dad, and by the screech Tanya gave telling him to get out, she was right. And people wondered where she got her temper from.

"Things kicking off there?"

She hmm'd down the phone, not really giving him an answer. Thinking about it, this was probably their longest conversation since he broke up with her. "Lauren." He wanted an answer obviously.

"Yeah. Made things worse ain't I?"

"Not your fault babe. Not all of it." She shook her head, he was being too nice.

"Lauren?" came his questioning tone down her phone, as she picked to re-pick up the icepack from the floor.

"Yeah?" He seemed hesitant as he spoke, almost like he wasn't even sure he wanted to ask.

"Today, you were..."

"A mess?"

"Not happy." He corrected her. "Before the Lucy thing I mean." She knew what he meant. It's not every day you start sobbing in your ex boyfriend's arms in the middle of the market, is it.

"What was that about?" She paused, thinking about what to tell him. Hearing the fighting stop, her siblings returning, she answered.

"Doesn't matter now. Anyway I've got to go Joey."

"Lauren..."

"It doesn't matter. It's not like it affects you anyway" her tone was sharp, probably unfairly to him but he couldn't pick and choose when he wanted to be on her side.

"Babe." He went to speak but she cut him off. "Just don't yeah?" She took a deep breath, turning to smile at Abi who was stood in the doorway. "Thanks for today, all of it." She wondered earlier sat in the interview room, what would have happened if Lucy hadn't have spoken. Being in Joey's arms had comforted her, her anger and upset fading the longer he held her and soothed her.

He sighed. Wanting more than she was willing to give, but not being able to push her for answers because it was now somewhat his fault she wouldn't give more.

"No worries babe. Just look after yourself yeah?" Not having an answer for him, with that, she ended the call.

"Joey?" Her sister asked, Lauren moving over on the bed to create space for her sister to come sit. Nodding yes to her question, Lauren held out her hand for Abi to replace the ice on. "Oscar?" Lauren asked. "DVD in his room." Abi leaned into Lauren's side. "Mum and Dad?" her younger sister's turn to ask. "Argued for a bit until Mum kicked him out." Lauren replied, feeling her sister's sigh.

"I'm sorry for today." Lauren mumbled, tipping her head to rest of her sister's. Out of everyone in the World, Lauren never wanted her behaviour to affect Abi. "Me too." The reply surprised her. "I should have helped you more. Noticed how hard it is for you." Unspoken words were in the air between the sisters, out of all the siblings Lauren had been the one caught between Max and Tanya. And with Joey on top of it, Lauren just didn't want to deal with it anymore.

Lauren just shrugged, not knowing what to reply. "We'll be alright though won't we?" Lauren shrugged again, they were Branning's, could they really ever be 100% happy? Her sister was more positive though. "We will be. We will."


End file.
